National Stop Smoking Day - 9th March

Providing you really WANT to give up then Hypnotherapy might be the solution for you.  Hypnotherapy works differently from most other therapies.  It's drug free and there is no physical manipulation.  We work directly with the subconscious mind helping you to make those positive changes by guiding you into a deeply relaxed trance state.  Here we can focus on those negative behaviours that you wish to change.  Results are often achieved faster than with other therapies.
The benefits of stopping begin straight away. You reduce your risk of getting serious disease no matter what age you give up.
 • Within 20 minutes, your blood pressure drops to normal
 • Within 24 hours the chance of a heart attack has decreased
 • Within 2 weeks circulation improves
 • Within 2 years the Lung Cancer death rate is almost halved!
However, the sooner you stop smoking, the greater the reduction in your risk.
 • Breathing improves
 • Chest infections and colds become less frequent
 • Reduction in 'smoker's cough'
 • The smell of stale tobacco on clothes, hair, breath, and face goes
 • Foods and drinks taste and smell much better
 • Finances improve immediately. A 20-a-day smoker spends around £60 a week, or £3,000 a year!
 • You look healthier and feel good about yourself
 • Physical activity is easier
So there is every reason to give up your smoking habit for good.
A Stop-Smoking Hypnotherapy sessions costs just £130.  So you start saving money in 3 weeks!
Call me today on 07954406640 to book an appointment.

New Premises, New Beginnings

Well, it really was hard work moving into new premises last weekend.  With hubby unable to help due to his recent back operation I had to do most of it myself.  Thankfully I had a couple of amazing friends who helped me move the large pieces of furniture and I cannot thank them enough. 

So I now work in this fabulous Victorian room with high ceilings and beautiful wooden floors with it's own private entrance.  Yes, Ridgewood Community Centre is a bit of a rabbit warren, but thankfully clients have been able to find me by following the signs.  

I hope I've managed to create a wonderfully relaxing room which is perfect for Hypnotherapy.  I also run meditation classes from here too on a Thursday morning from 10am.  

My new large room will enable me to expand my business into new and exciting things such as training courses (Spiritual Healing) and group therapy sessions for Hypno-Birthing, so watch the websites for details.

Also if you're interested in Aloe Vera I'm a distributor for Forever Living so you can order through me and collect or  I can deliver if you live locally.  Ask me if you would like to "Try Before You Buy".

My new address is The Cottage, Ridgewood Community Centre, 244 Station Road, Yate, BS37 4AF and you are welcome to pop in tomorrow (Tuesday 9th Feb) as I'm having an Open Day if you would like to have a chat about any of the therapies I offer.

You Can Rewire Your Brain

So, here we are nearly at the end of January already, where does the time go?  Christmas is but a distant memory and as our thoughts now start to turn to our Summer holidays, how well are you're sticking to your New Year's Resolution? Probably not very well and I suspect that if you've taken on 3 or 4 changes most of them have fallen by the wayside already.

But don't despair - forget about those resolutions you've not stuck with for the time being, put them to the back of your mind and start to really concentrate on just the one you're still doing.  

It can take up to 6 weeks of hard work in order to re-wire your brain into accepting these changes into becoming your new habit.  You see a habit is like a well-worn path through a large field.  So, let’s say this path takes you to marshland and that is not where you want to go any more.  You would like to now go to the berry bush in the corner of the field.  The only problem is that there is no path to the berry bush, and the grass in the field is four feet high and hard to walk through. 

Obviously, the thing you need to do is to make a new path.  It may be a little difficult and will certainly be a lot harder than going down the well-worn path.  But, if you want to get to the berry bush that is what you need to do.

Imagine you have walked to the berry bush a couple of times creating a rough but visible pathway.  Then you begin down the original path again and you come to a fork where you see the well-worn path that leads to the marshland and the less trodden path that leads to the berry bush.  

What happens when you choose the berry bush path every time you come to the fork?  It becomes easier and easier to walk down.  And what happens to the other path?  It grows over and becomes more and more difficult to walk down.  A new habit is forming and at some point it will become effortless, automatic.

So, the good news is…..we all have the ability to learn and change by re-wiring our brains.  If you have ever changed a bad habit or thought about something differently, you have created a new pathway in your brain.  With repetition and desire you can rewire your brain!

The Power of Visualisation

From the Archive - I was looking through old posts to check what I'd already written about and came across this - its still very valid today so thought I'd share it with you again as a reminder about the Power of Visualisation

Visualisation is a powerful way to help you turn your dreams into reality.  That's quite a statement to make, but there's a lot of evidence out there to support it.

For instance, actor Jim Carrey, before he was famous, would park his car, every night, on Muholland Drive (a very famous road in LA) and then dream of becoming the Hollywood star that he inevitably became. He even wrote himself a ten million dollar check for a movie deal, and dated it five years from that very day. You can guess what happened? Not long before that date came along, he secured ten million dollar deal to star in the movie Dumb and Dumber.

It's not just Actors who have realised the power of visualisation, but the elite and successful people in every field: professional athletes, business CEO’s, speakers, singers, and performers.  Simply by replaying over and over again the mental images of where or who you would like to be is the key to turning your vision from a day-dream into reality!

Between the 1950s to the 1980's the Russians dominated the Olympics.  Why?  Because part of their Olympic Team included a number of Hypnotists who helped their athletes develop mental clarity through visualisation! 

Muhammad Ali and Glen Catley both used visualisation to help them win boxing fights.  Andre Agassi repeatedly imagined himself winning the Wimbledon long before he actually won it in 1992 and even Jack Nicklaus, Golfer, would never hit a shot without having a sharp, focused picture of it in his mind first.

Need more evidence?  Science has demonstrated that your brain cannot tell the difference between a visualized image and reality. A Harvard study taught two groups a simple 5-fingered piano melody; one group physically practiced the melody for 2 hours a day over 5 days. The other group merely visualized playing the melody. As you can probably guess, the new neurological wiring that took place were almost identical between the two groups.

But, of course, this isn't something just for the rich and famous, you can do it too and it doesn't cost a penny! So start visualising your dreams you could even create a dream board to help with your visualisation and see how you can start to change your future for the better.

Don't suffer from IBS again this Christmas

Irritable Bowel
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive problem often causing bouts of stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation.  It's thought to affect up to 1 in 5 people at some point in their life, and affects twice as many women as men.  The symptoms vary from person to person and tend to come and go in periods lasting a few days to a few months at a time.  It’s often related to eating certain foods, but it’s most certainly related to stress and anxiety.
So, to help you suffer less through this most testing time of year, here's a little tip that you can try to help you to deal with your anxiety.
As you go to bed at night think of 3 or more things that have been good about the day.  It could be something somebody said, or did, something in nature that caught your attention, a moment of beauty, of learning, a smile or laughter.  But by thinking more positive thoughts before you go to sleep, it will help you to start getting a better night’s sleep and that will help you and your body to feel more relaxed.  And if you’re feeling more relaxed, you’ll be less anxious and that’s going to help your IBS enormously!

I keep being asked, when will you be doing a Chakra Dancing Class in the evenings as I can't come during the day.  Well I have listened and I am delighted to say that a Monday Evening Class has been organised.
 

Every Monday at 7-8pm or Every Wednesday at 0930am -1030am 

Conference Hall, Ridgewood Community Centre. 244 Station Road, Yate , BS37 4AF

(Park in the first Car Park on the right (Opposite Care Home entrance and we are in the first building on the right)

£5.00 each on the door - no pre-booking required.

 

Loose, layered clothing and Trainers are recommended.

You may dance in bare feet at your own risk.

Please bring drinking water with you.  

No coordination  necessary and no set routines.  

Suitable for all fitness levels and abilities.

No floor work involved!

We all experience energy blocks in the body, causing us to suffer from fatigue, low energy levels, anxiety, lack of confidence, or simply the pressures of everyday life.  Imagine allowing your body to simply release it and let it go.  

 

Chakra Dancing isn’t your normal type of exercise class; it’s a dance therapy, a spiritual journey of transformation for your mind, body and soul.

If you’re not sure what chakras are, they are spinning wheels of energy located all over your body. We have thousands of them but the seven main chakras are located along our spine from its base to just above the head.  Each chakra is represented by a different colour of the rainbow and is associated with a particular part of the body.  Chakras also have a different vibration; from the root which has a heavy deep base vibration, to the crown which has a light angelic vibration.

 

Over time our Chakras can become blocked, causing us to feel low, run down and fatigued.  With a different piece of music relating to each of the 7 main chakra centres, this dance therapy will help you to release any blockages and leave you feeling energised and yet completely balanced within, improving your health and well-being - physically, mentally and emotionally.  

 

Through spontaneous free-form dancing, guided by an instructor, we can free up our natural energy flows to harmonise and balance the energy centres that run throughout the body, creating positive changes that you can really benefit from.

 

Best of all, there are no steps or routines to learn and no coordination is needed.  Just feel the music, let go and dance your own dance.  And because you dance your own dance, there are no expectations of you and no-one forcing you to do this or do that which makes it suitable for all ages, all fitness levels and all abilities.

How Fragile Is Life

It's been a while since my last blog.  But life has taken a rather exhausting route over the last few months.  My husband put his back out in August after lifting a role of lead.  It started out as  just a twinge of pain here and there, a reminder that he'd lifted something heavy.  We just thought with a bit of massage, a heat wrap and a trip to the Chiropractor the pain would eventually ease and he'd be back to normal within a few weeks.  We had no idea that after 10 weeks off sick, two trips to A&E and enough medication to start up a pharmacy, we would be waiting for him to go in for operation in a few days time.
But its got me thinking about how fragile our lives really are and how quickly everything can change.  Even though his back pain isn't life threatening, he doesn't have a terminal illness and after the operation he should be up and about fairly quickly, we have both been on an emotional roller coaster for the last 10 weeks which has left us both physically and emotionally exhausted. Thankfully we can see that end is in sight and we are both hugely relieved that it will soon all be over and he will be back to his normal self.
It's really brought it home to me how important all those things I teach my clients are to help them through those times in our lives when we struggle to cope.  We've both been listening to my hypnotherapy CD at night-times and he's still been cracking jokes and keeping us both positive and laughing through it all.

Exciting News

I'm delighted to share with you some exciting news.  I will be putting on an evening Chakra Dancing Class.  It's been a long time coming, but I've finally taken the plunge!

This new class will be on a Monday evening starting on Monday 23 November from 7-8pm at Ridgewood Community Centre, 244 Station Road, Yate, BS37 4AF - £5 each pay as you go

We all experience energy blocks in the body, causing us to suffer from fatigue, low energy levels, anxiety, lack of confidence, or simply the pressures of everyday life.  Imagine allowing your body to simply release it and let it go.  

Chakra Dancing isn’t your normal type of exercise class; it’s a dance therapy, a spiritual journey of transformation for your mind, body and soul.

If you’re not sure what chakras are, they are spinning wheels of energy located all over your body. We have thousands of them but the seven main chakras are located along our spine from its base to just above the head.  Each chakra is represented by a different colour of the rainbow and is associated with a particular part of the body.  Chakra's also have a different vibration; from the root which has a heavy deep base vibration, to the crown which has a light angelic vibration.

Over time our Chakras can become blocked, causing us to feel low, run down and fatigued.  With a different piece of music relating to each of the 7 main chakra centres, this dance therapy will help you to release any blockages and leave you feeling energised and yet completely balanced within, improving your health and well-being - physically, mentally and emotionally.  

Through spontaneous free-form dancing, guided by an instructor, we can free up our natural energy flows to harmonise and balance the energy centres that run throughout the body, creating positive changes that you can really benefit from.

Best of all, there are no steps or routines to learn and no coordination is needed.  Just feel the music, let go and dance your own dance.  And because you dance your own dance, there are no expectations of you and no-one forcing you to do this or do that which makes it suitable for all ages, all fitness levels and all abilities.

Loose, layered clothing and Trainers are recommended.

You may dance in bare feet at your own risk.

Please bring drinking water with you.  

No coordination  necessary and no set routines.  

Suitable for all fitness levels and abilities.

No floor work involved!

Smoothing the Cat

We all suffer from some amount of anxiety in our lives, in fact we need a certain amount to enable our brain to understand when we might need our fight/flight/freeze mechanism to kick in.  But it's how we deal with that anxiety that makes us sink or swim.
It's about finding the right way for you to handle your stress and learning techniques that help you cope and, inevitably, move on.
Some people find simple breathing techniques help them, some like to meditate, read a book or listen to music to help them relax and de-stress.
For me it was always smoothing the cat (that's Bristolian for stroking the cat).  There's nothing nicer than a cat jumping up on your lap and as you start to smooth it, it starts to purr.  That must be one of the most calming sounds in the world.  All that cat wants is for you to make a fuss of it, nothing else matters and as it relaxes it purrs louder.  If you stop it soon lets you know that you need to start again with a little nuzzle or gentle paw.  Then you find yourself going into a little meditative state as you enjoy this little piece of relaxation with your furry friend.
At least, that's how I remember it.  Our current cat isn't bothered about fusses, except in the mornings!  The minute I sit on the toilet she comes in and jumps on my lap and because this is such a rare occasion I just sit there and enjoy it until my legs go numb!

Is Mental Health Impacting Your Business?

With 1 in 4 people suffering from mental health issues, it's a problem that businesses can no longer ignore.  Whether you are a large corporation or a small company, you're probably feeling the impact.  Not everyone suffering from a mental illness will take time off sick.  Most people will struggle on trying to act as if nothing is wrong, but their daily struggle will begin to impact on their work eventually.  Why?  When you're suffering from Anxiety you invariably worry about everything, your mind is going round and round trying to juggle your workload, your family and everything else going on in your life and everything seems like a mountain to climb, however simple or difficult a problem or task it actually is.  So when it comes to bed-time, you just can't quiet the mind and often you can't sleep.  Sleep is key to our well-being, it's where we process all our thoughts and feelings that we've had during the day, it's where we turn all our short-term memories into long-term memories and it's where we begin to heal and regenerate cells.  Without this crucial part of daily cycle our bodies become lethargic, our health begins to suffer and our memory is impacted.  

So what can we do about it?  Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help you to start making positive changes in your life.  We start by helping you get your sleep pattern back to normal by listening to hypnotherapy CD at night.  We encourage positive thinking, small things at first and we help you to look towards a positive future and small steps you can take to move towards your better future.

If you're a business and concerned about your workforce, why not ask your local Solution Focused Hypnotherapist to come in and chat to your team about anxiety and how we can help.

 

www.afsfh.co.uk     www.julieshowering.co.uk

Press Release - FREE “Relaxation” CD helps reduce stress

A Solution Focused hypnotherapist, based in Chipping Sodbury, is offering a FREE hypnotherapy “Relaxation” CD to help new clients to reduce stress and promote feelings of well being.

The CD, which lasts for around 30 minutes, uses soothing music and language rich in imagery and texture, to help people to relax and unwind.

Voiced by hypnotherapy practitioner Julie Showering, the CD is designed to be listened to before the client goes to sleep, and can be helpful, when used in conjunction with regular sessions, in aiding in weight, sleep, and anger management issues.

The CD should not be played in the car or when operating machinery because it can be very effective!

It should be used when someone wants to completely relax for half an hour or so.

“I am delighted to offer clients a free hypnotherapy CD as part of an Initial Consultation, which really aids in their treatment”, says Julie Showering, a fully insured and qualified Solution Focused Hypnotherapy practitioner.

In our hectic world, our brains can often respond to situations we perceive to be stressful in a manner that can prove to be bad for our mental well-being and overall health.

When we start to build up a pattern of negative thinking, therapists say we are adding to our “stress bucket”.

When our “stress bucket” overflows, we may discover issues start to invade our lives and manifest themselves in a variety of ways, from anxiety and stress-related illnesses through to eating issues or anger.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM), which is a natural part of our sleeping cycle, helps to reduce our “stress bucket” levels. REM is limited and if there is a lot in our “stress bucket”, we can find ourselves waking up early (or not being able to sleep at all).

This response, in turn, makes the negative thinking worse, which adds to the “stress bucket” and the negative responses become further enforced.

The free CD, in conjunction with Solution Focused Hypnotherapy sessions with Julie, are designed to aid relaxation by focusing on positive solutions and then replicating REM in a trance state – which is a safe and effective way to alleviate stress.

“We find that after a number of sessions, many clients, who have been using the CD on a regular basis in-between coming to see us, will often say that they are feeling more relaxed and that they are seeing benefits to aspects of their lives.”

Julie says that the CD and sessions combined together are designed to focus the brain into finding solutions in the client’s life, which means that the therapy does not delve into past events, or issues, the client may have experienced.

Julie Showering is a member of the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH) which sets out to ensure its members adhere to its high standards and code of conduct.

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can also be used to help with minor phobias and can be of assistance in helping someone stop smoking in one simple session.

Back To School Means Time for You

So, it's only a week left before the kids go back to school and suddenly you realise they've had a growing spurt and that new uniform you bought them doesn't fit or their shoes are now too tight. Or you're wondering what on earth are you going to do with all that free time you're going to have.
However you feel about the kids going back to school, it's actually a time when you can think about yourself for a change - even if it's just for 10 mintues!
Yes, I really do mean 10 minutes. And realistically we can all find 10 minutes for ourselves - even if its when we are sat on the loo!
In 10 minutes you can embark upon the wonders that meditation can bring to your daily life.  You can do a Guided Meditation or a Mindfulness Meditation, whichever suits you best, but they both take practice and discipline to master, so don't give up.
Of course you take the Dr David Hamilton approach and stand in a power stance for 3 minutes every day, like a superhero with hands on hips and chest out.  He swears by it because by standing in that way you're brain thinks you are powerful and strong and will start to produce those wonderful chemicals such as serotonin which make us happy and brave and able to cope with whatever the world throws at us.

Press Release - Helping to reduce the “Autumn Blues”

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy: Helping to reduce the “Autumn Blues”

As we start to get ready to go back to work towards the end of the holiday season, and the children are getting their uniforms sorted out, then people’s perceptions of stress may start to increase.
With the start of autumn just a few weeks away, and with the prospect of the nights beginning to draw in, this time of the year can prove itself to be a little daunting.
A possible change in the weather from sunny summery days into a more autumnal outlook can, for some people, also prove to be a little unsettling.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can really help people who may find they need help to manage the change of seasons combined with the return to work.
Julie Showering, a fully insured and qualified Solution Focused Hypnotherapy practitioner, based in Chipping Sodbury, says, “September can be a tough time for some people as they start to try to settle back into a routine of deadlines and meetings.
“Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can really help to reduce stress and promote a calm and relaxed approach to work and life as a whole.”
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a safe and effective treatment which uses science and psychology to utilise the mind into its most positive state.
Sessions last for an hour and a client may see their practitioner over a number of appointments to gain the most from the therapy itself.
“It really is amazing”, says Julie. “We see people whose ‘stress buckets’ might be overflowing when they initially come to us, and it’s wonderful to see the transformation over a number of appointments as they become noticeably more relaxed in their approach to life.”
Julie gained the Hypnotherapy Practitioner’s Diploma (HPD) in 2012 and is a member of the Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH), which sets out to ensure its members adhere to its high standards and code of conduct.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can also be used to help improve confidence, aid in sleep, ease anger and anxiety-based issues, help with weight management, and also in focusing someone’s mind on stopping smoking in a single session.

I ♥ Me

If you haven't come across Dr David Hamilton and his many books, I strongly recommend that you get his new book I♥Me.
I have to admit that I'd never heard of him until a few weeks ago when a colleague said she was reading this book. Then literally 2 days later I received an email with an invite to go and see him talk, so I did.
It was all a bit of rush that day.  My original meeting that evening had been cancelled and I was feeling a little annoyed as I usually go to aerobics which I'd had to cancel. So I decided to be spontaneous and found myself booking to see David Hamilton in Cheltenham.  I suddenly realised that it would take me an hour to get there and if I was going to make it I'd have to have an early tea.  So I rustled up something quick in the kitchen and literally walked out the door and hubby was coming home!
I drove up to Cheltenham and as I pulled into a nearby car park so did another lady and I just knew she was going to the same event as me - so I asked her.  Yes, she said, which was great as I had no idea where the venue actually was!  So not only did I get see an amazingly talented man tell us his story up on stage, I made a new friend too.  If you ever get the chance to go and see him, go, he is a real inspiration.

I've now signed up for his regular newsletter and this week he wrote this which I thought was really interesting
"In June, I was part of an experiment where a group of people 'sent' loving-kindness to a person who was in a different room, and that person's heart rhythms changed at the precise moment the loving-kindness was sent."
Isn't that just amazing? I've always known about the power of healing and distant healing whether it's spiritual or reiki, but to have it proven in an experiment just really confirms that there is so much more going on that we can really know or even understand.
And, more importantly, if sending positive thoughts to someone can have such a positive effect on that person, then we must assume that sending negativity can have the opposite effect and could actually cause them harm.
So be really careful with you thoughts and as soon as any negative one start to creep in, stop them immediately and start thinking of something much more positive!

Rocky Road to Happiness

I see a lot of clients suffering from anxiety, depression and panic attacks.  I like to explain that anxiety is where you worry about everything and depression is where you worry about nothing.  Lots of people think they are suffering from depression when actually they're suffering from anxiety.
But whichever you're suffering from the treatment is always the same; at the end of the day, when you're getting into bed, just think about 3 things that have been good about the day.  It could be something someone said, or something they did, something in nature that caught your attention, a smile or laughter, it doesn't matter whether it's big or small, but just try and pick out 3 or more things that have been good that day.  This puts you into the positive part of your brain so when you drift off to sleep, you drift off having positive thoughts rather than negative one.  Of course my clients will also go to sleep listening to a hypnotherapy CD which also helps them to relax deeply and helps them to get a better nights sleep, which is key to our well-being.
For some clients this is enough to help them start on their road to happiness, but for others its not.  Unfortunately we also have a negative brain and this part of our brain doesn't like change and it will give you every excuse under the sun not to make changes, even small ones.  For some clients this part of their brain can even cause excruciating pain in order to stop you doing things and changing things. The way forward is to stop that negative thinking as soon as it starts by telling yourself "I'm not having those thoughts today, I'm going to think about ....." and immediately start thinking about something much more positive, a holiday or a place real or imagined that makes you feel calm, relaxed and safe.  It takes practice, but it does work.
Like everything in life, you have to work at being happy, but the more your practice, the easier it becomes, until its just the norm.

The Power of Positivity

We hear all the time about how positivity is the key to happiness and in lots of ways it is.  However, for someone who is suffering from anxiety and depression, it's the most difficult thing in the world.  I always tell my clients to start this process as they are getting ready for bed, by thinking of 3 things that have been good about the day.  It's the smallest things that can make all the difference, but by starting like this, you will begin to notice more and more good things until you're not thinking about the negatives.  It will also help you to be in a much more positive frame of mind as you drift off to sleep and this, in turn, will help you to get a better nights sleep.

Regression doesn't work for all

Last weekend I was exhibiting at the wonderful Healing Weekend at The Secret World Animal Sanctuary near Highbridge

Whilst I was giving a client a Hypno-Reiki Session, I overheard a lady talking to my husband about the Stop Smoking Session I was offering.  I was horrified to hear her relay how she had Hypnotherapy some years ago to give up but the Therapist used regression and took this lady back to her childhood. The idea being that she took her back to a time she didn’t smoke.

Now I’m sure this method is used by many Therapists in order to achieve positive results and changes within their clients for all sorts of problems.  However, without a full and proper consultation and discussing fully whether the client is happy using this technique, we cannot know what the client had been through in their life and whether this is a suitable course of action.

I can only assume that this particular Therapist did not consult fully with this client.  Why? Well because this poor lady had a terrible childhood, and was abused.  Her childhood holds very negative, sad and angry emotions for her and it has taken her years to get over it.  So to take her back to that time, was the worst possible thing that Therapist could have done,  and not only did the therapy not work as she went home and smoked 40 cigarettes,  this lady was left traumatised afterwards.

So I just wanted to make it clear, that Solution Focused Hypnotherapy does not use this method to help its clients to stop smoking.  We like to get you thinking about the positive changes you will make when you’ve stopped smoking, the money you will save and the things you can achieve with that extra cash.  Our treatment is much more positive and enjoyable.

Lemons and The Brain

I want to remind you about the power of our brains and the fact that the brain can't tell the difference between imagination and reality!  "Don't be ridiculous" I hear you cry, but it is true.  Let me prove it to you - get someone to read this to and visualize it as it's read out....

Close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths, and allow the body to start to let go and relax.  Just allowing those shoulders to drop and maybe even the head as you relax.

I want you to imagine that you are in your kitchen, a home.  Look around the kitchen and see all of the familiar things. Maybe there’s food cooking, breathe in the smells and aromas of the food.

You walk over to a counter where there is a basket of lemons and chopping board. You reach out and select a ripe, bright yellow lemon. You feel the weight of the lemon in your hand, as you slide your fingers over the lemon you can feel its smooth waxy skin... feel the dimpled texture... You lift the lemon to your face and breathe in that fresh lemony smell... and then you place the lemon on the chopping board and slice the lemon in half. As the bright yellow flesh is exposed you see the juice oozing out... a lovely lemony citrus aroma fills the room. You pick up half of the lemon and look at the juicy segments inside and then you put it in your mouth and then you sink your teeth into the lemon .... the juices run over your tongue... your mouth fills with the taste of lemon juice...be aware of how it feels in your mouth, how it feels on your tongue.  Be aware of any changes taking place in your mouth, in your body and in your mind.

Most people will find their mouth-watering after experiencing this visualization exercise. It's because in order to make sense of what you hear or read your brain has to retrieve the memories - the images, smells, and textures - that the Lemon Visualization brings to mind. The experience of eating a lemon is something that generates powerful physical reactions. Recalling eating the lemon recalls the distinctive reaction, and your body responds with a conditioned reflex. The Eating a Lemon visualization exercise demonstrates that the brain cannot tell the difference between imagination and reality because the visualisation has the same physical effect on the body as if you were really eating a real lemon.

 

Interesting stuff eh?

Sally's Story - Case Study

This week I wanted to share with you the feedback I received from a client.  I'm going to call her Sally in this article.

Sally came to me at the back end of last year suffering from stress and anxiety, particularly at work.  When she was stressed she had difficulty getting to sleep and was waking in the night, leaving her tired and unable to cope.

Her goals were simple, she wanted to be in control again, she wanted her confidence back and she wanted to find her motivation to get back to the gym.

Sally had just 5 sessions with me and by her last session, at the end of October, she was back at the gym, feeling really confident and calm and was sleeping so much better. She felt she didn't need any more sessions and that's fine, but I always say to my clients, that they are always welcome to pop back and have a top up session whenever they need to.

So last week Sally came back for a top up session.  She told me that although she knew she had improved during our work together, it wasn't until after Christmas, when everything had settled after the Christmas Madness, that she really realised just how much better she was.  It was a real WOW moment for her.  Her life was better, she was coping better and she really felt that she'd got her old self back at last.

As she was telling me this, she was absolutely glowing, work was going really well, she'd been offered her dream job, life was absolutely amazing, and it was all because she'd made the decision to seek help from a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist.

If you want to get the real you back, give me a call or seek out a local SFHypnotherapist near you at www.afsfh.co.uk.

For more information on Hypnotherapy go to www.julieshowering-hypnotherapy.co.uk

Mindfulness Meditation

I posted this back last year, but I was recently asked what Mindfulness was, so felt it was repost…

We live in such a fast paced world these days trying to juggle work, kids, home and social lives that it can be all a bit overwhelming at times.  When was the last time you actually sat down and did nothing but relax, I mean really relax?  Not very often or far worse than that, maybe never! And if you're not getting a decent night’s sleep, then odds are, you’re starting to feel the pressure and your mind just doesn't stop!  Sound familiar?

We all need to admit that sometimes we find it hard to let go of our worries, our fears and all those negatives thoughts running around in our heads.  Of course it’s no wonder when the minute our anxiety starts to go up, we start to drop into our negative brain, and it’s all too easy to stay there!

Staying in the positive part of our brain, and focusing on the positives in our lives isn't easy, but the results can be outstanding.  Enabling us to lower our stress and cope so much better with anything that life throws at us.  Mindfulness isn't just about being positive; it’s about being present in the moment too.

Meditation is one of the best way to help you cope with stress and to help you de-clutter your mind and this can start with a simple slow breathing exercise, out for the count of 4 and then in for the count of 4.

Breathing out negativity and breathing in positivity.

Breathing out stress and breathing in calm.

Breathing out your worries, breathing in love.

Breathing out pain, breathing in healing.

Once you find this easy take it up a notch and go for a count of 5, then 6 or 7.

You can even take it step further and include some colour breathing.

Imagine negativity as a colour and as you breathe out see or feel that colour leaving your body taking all your negatives thoughts with it.

Now imagine a colour that makes you feel happy and breathe in that colour so that it penetrates every part of your body, filling you with that colour.

Colour breathing is a very effective way of helping you distress and let go of all those negativities and hopefully it will leave you feeling a little bit more positive and able to cope with life just a little bit better.

Mindfulness however, is a bit more challenging.  It’s best done first thing on the morning, sitting on the bed.  Close your eyes and concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply.  Imagine relaxing every muscle in your body but always bring your thoughts back to your breathing.  Your mind will wander off and when it does, just acknowledge those thoughts and bring it back to your breathing.  Always bring it back to your breathing and you’ll eventually learn to quiete the mind

Click Here and download this FREE 10 minute Mindfulness Mediation to help get you started